Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Troupe des Treize
Theatre company in Quebec City, Quebec, founded in 1949 by Jacques Duchesne, with students from Laval University. Its original name was Société dramatique de l'AGEL (Association des étudiants de l'Université de Laval).
The company produced plays by French (Racine, Molière, Cocteau, Anouilh), foreign (Brecht, Beckett) as well as local writers (Félix Leclerc). In 1968 the company won for best play at the Dominion Drama Festival with Jean Barbeau's Et caetera. Barbeau's name would be closely associated with the company. In the 1968-69 season, the Troupe began working in collective creation. Their first play of this sort, Les Temps Tranquilles, alluded to the state of the nation which had just elected Pierre Trudeau prime minister.
The Company has been responsible for nurturing the careers of several Quebec City talents - notably Rémy Girard, Dorothée Berryman, Germain Houde, and Marie Tifo - but was disbanded in 1973.
The name of the Company was revived by an amateur troupe at the Université de Laval, which performed under the name for several years.
Profile by Gaetan Charlebois. Additional information provided by Sarah Gillioz.
Last updated 2021-01-19
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The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia web site was originally conceived and developed in 1996 by Gaetan Charlebois—theatre critic, playwright, and actor.
